


You are the Mother

by MusesatMidnight



Series: We Used To Be Giants [5]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Uchiha Mikoto, Cats, F/M, Family, Family Drama, Family Feels, Gen, No Uchiha Massacre, Not Canon Compliant, POV Alternating, Protective Siblings, Reflection, Self-Reflection, Sibling Love, Uchiha Mikoto is a Mama, Uchiha Shisui Lives, Uzushiogakure | Hidden Eddy Village
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:47:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26803885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusesatMidnight/pseuds/MusesatMidnight
Summary: A few snapshots into Mikoto (and a little insight into Sasuke too) before and after the prevented Uchiha Massacre. Mikoto reflects and remembers. Sasuke misses Itachi. A glimpse into the Uchiha's lives on Uzushio.
Relationships: Nii Yugito/Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Fugaku/Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Itachi & Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Mikoto & Uchiha Sasuke
Series: We Used To Be Giants [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1814884
Comments: 4
Kudos: 63





	1. You are the Mother

**Author's Note:**

> So, a little drabble-esque character study/mind dump. Some of this I wrote whilst I was trying to get into Mikoto's head - understanding what her reaction would be if she was a mother first and an Uchiha second - and her reaction to life after their flee to Uzushio. 
> 
> Majorly influenced and inspired by Timshel from Mumford & Sons... An excellent song which really resonated with Mikoto's character/decisions/life and Itachi's too!

You are the Mother

Mikoto

(& Sasuke)

*

_And you are the mother._

_The mother of your baby child,_

_The one to whom you gave life._

Mikoto was many things. She was a daughter, a sister, a kunoichi, a friend, a killer, a wife and a mother. She had, had many roles in her life. Been many things to many people. Sometimes they had been true versions of herself but other times on missions she had been false, deceptive just like any true shinobi.

But of all the roles and parts she had played, being a mother was the greatest and most joyous and most heart breaking.

Itachi had not required her much. Such an independent and caring child. But she had loved him with all her heart. Loved him even when lost in the mire of her grief each time at the loss of another child. Loved him beyond the fog of sadness that veiled almost everything from her sight. Itachi had persisted and pushed through her loss, reminding her of her living child whom she would die for.

Then, after hope had fled from her and she was resigned to being the mother of only one beautiful boy, Sasuke came.

Her chubby cheeked youngest. With hair that already defied constraints and combing. With wails and tears that threatened to spill forth at the slightest imperfection. Her tempestuous son who’s only true love in life was not his mother, who had carried him within her and then laboured to deliver his squalling form into this world, but his eldest brother.

And Mikoto knew that Itachi’s loved was equally devoted to Sasuke. And she was glad. Because if something were ever to happen to her and Fugaku, Itachi would never, never leave Sasuke. She was certain of it. She didn’t think anything could possibly draw Itachi’s love from Sasuke, such was his devotion to his younger brother, to his adored and cherished Otouto.

Mikoto hoped that Sasuke wouldn’t grow to adore Itachi quite as much as his Aniki adored him. She hoped that Sasuke had friends and loves beyond Itachi. Because she wanted her child to grow and be stronger and more giving with his love than Itachi. Itachi’s flaws were few, but his close guarding of his love was one of them. But maybe, once Kushina’s child was born, Sasuke’s world would grow and there would be room in his heart for the Uzumaki baby.

Mikoto had many hopes and dreams. Most of them centred around her children, and her husband. But there was a darkness lingering over the Uchiha clan. One that threatened and loomed. She hoped that Itachi and Sasuke could be spared from it, that they would be free and not called upon by the demands of the clan.

Of all the things that one could die for, that one should die for, she didn’t think the clan’s pride was one of them. She had given birth to her boys, given them life. She didn’t want them to die for pride. 

*

_And you have your choices,_

_And these are what make man great,_

_His ladder to the stars._

For the first time in many years, Mikoto did not consider what was best for the clan as a whole. She did not think about preserving the clan, gaining power, seeking justice or revenge for the slights against their people. She did not contemplate what impact her decision would have on her clan.

She thought solely about her sons. Her recently turned two-year-old who was picking up words so quickly and toddling around the house almost faster than she could keep up. She wanted to know what he would grow up to be. Although he was only two, Sasuke was demonstrating a stubbornness, selfishness and keen sense of resilience. What could he grow to be with her there to guide him, to support him, to be his pillar to fall back to? What could he become?

And her oldest. Her sweetest and most gentle child. Her firstborn who had grown up too quickly in a world that was too cold and cruel. Itachi, who had desperately tried to stop the seemingly inevitable descent of the clan into a dark, violent and all-consuming hatred. Itachi who had been fighting alone for so long. Her boy who had taken all the suspicion of the clan, all the sneers and jealous comments for his superior skills, all their hatred towards the village and tried to stop them. Tried to find a solution that would not end in bloodshed and ruin.

When Itachi brought Yugito to them, and the girl’s deception was revealed, and her fears and worries laid bare in front of Mikoto – all the Uchiha mother could think about was her children.

All her mothering instincts surged forward and she (for the first time in years, maybe decades) overruled Fugaku. If he had tried to contest her decision, Mikoto knew (with every fibre of her being and soul) that she would have left him. Would have taken Sasuke away from his father and the village without looking back.

Fugaku was a good father, when he remembered to be one instead of the Uchiha clan head, but Mikoto would not have hesitated to fight her husband on this. She would not sacrifice her children for the clan. It was _not_ worth it.

Luckily for her, Fugaku was no fool. He knew what Mikoto’s decision would be. And he acquiesced to the mother of his children. Possibly the smartest decision he had made in years.

Mikoto’s only regret about their escape, their abrupt flight from Konoha, was that Itachi would not know what had befallen his family. Would not know where Sasuke, she or Fugaku were – whether they were living or dead. She had hoped that he would return before they left, that he could come with them. But it was not to be.

Yugito promised that Itachi would learn the truth, eventually, but Mikoto’s heart ached for the future suffering her baby would go through. But she had made her choice. For the good of both of her sons. And Itachi would have his own choices to make. Choices no longer influenced by the pressures of the clan, his duty to the village, to what it was to be shinobi.

Mikoto hoped that one day, soon, Itachi would be able to reunite with them. That her kind child would be in her arms once more and Sasuke would be embraced by the Aniki who had already given so much for him.

*

_But you are not alone in this._

_And you are not alone in this._

_As brothers we will stand, and we’ll hold your hand._

_Hold your hand._

Being reunited with Shisui on Uzushio was bittersweet. His mother had refused to leave the village. Consumed by her grief and her certainty that the village had caused his death, she had remained to fight whilst the majority of the clan fled.

Shisui was bereft of immediate family but Mikoto knew that Uzu-sama had offered him a home. She could do no less. Not when Shisui was Itachi’s best friend. Until recently Mikoto would have believed Shisui to be Itachi’s only friend but after speaking with many of Uzu-sama’s children she had learnt that was not the case.

Itachi and Shisui were adored by Uzu-sama’s family. The strange, motley, odd, loving bunch of misfits with their vibrant personalities and deep hearts.

Shisui may not be Itachi’s only friend, but he was his oldest. And Mikoto could not leave him to believe he was alone. That his clan had abandoned him. That they resented him for his actions. Because she certainly didn’t and she was positive many of the clan wanted to thank him, but they were too afraid to approach him.

Losing your Sharingan was the ultimate sacrifice to the Uchiha. And it had been many years since any Uchiha had lost one eye. Let alone the decades since eye-giving had still been practiced in secret. For Shisui to lose one eye and then willingly give his other up…

But Shisui was not as eager as she had hoped to live with them. Instead he chose to live with Uzu-sama. Mikoto found herself regretting the clan’s actions once more, this time for her nephew who had lost so much – more than she had.

In Uzu-sama’s care however, she saw him blooming once more. And she knew that Mao Uzumaki played a strong part in his recovery. Mikoto hoped that one day, Itachi and Shisui would be reunited. The pair had always been so good for each other – knowing when to push and when to relent, supporting each other beyond the bonds of family, true brothers in arms.

She did make sure that Shisui knew he was always, _always_ , welcome in her home. And if she asked him to babysit Sasuke more often than necessary, well… That was a secret between her and Uzu-sama.

*

_But I will tell the night_

_And whisper ‘lose your sight’_

_But I can’t move the mountains…. For you._

The Sharingan… Sometimes it seemed like a curse more than a gift or a treasure. The Uchiha had been so certain of its superiority. Of their prowess and their elite status over others.

On Uzushio, they were not treated like treasures or as if the Sharingan was something to be in awe of. On Uzushio every man, woman and sometimes child pulled their weight and gave back to their home and village.

There was no currency per say within the village. Those who took missions on the mainland and brought back coin gave it all in to Uzu-sama to spend on things the village as a whole needed. But there was a storage building where furniture and materials were kept. If you needed a new bed you could go there and take it. If you need material for a new shirt you could take that too. The only proviso was that you worked for someone or assisted in whatever tasks required more labour.

And there was a plethora of jobs and tasks always in need of people.

Mikoto had learnt how to harvest with Sasuke tucked in a sling on her back. She had learnt how to card and spin wool. She had cut vegetables at the ramen shop. She had painted the walls of a home. She had gone out on the fishing boats and brought in a haul for the day.

Food was another area where you didn’t require currency. Everyone took what they needed, and only what they needed. No one went hungry on Uzushio. If you had a family of four, you took enough rice to feed four. If you needed extra because someone was unwell and you needed to make simple dishes to help them gain strength again, then you did. But no one was greedy and took more than they needed.

Mikoto was not used to this type of community. To this sense of working together for everyone. It was a culture shock for the first few months but slowly and surely she and the other Uchiha (who followed her lead) adapted.

It was a simple life. One without pressure to be seen as the perfect Uchiha. The children of the clan ran amongst the streets of Uzushiogakure, being children and playing. They attended school with the other children of the village but there was little to no pressure for them to become shinobi.

Mikoto couldn’t recall the last time she used her Sharingan. She didn’t feel the need to use it. Instead she was just Mikoto, mother of Sasuke, unofficial leader of the Uchiha, citizen of Uzushiogakure.

And there was a peace inside her. One that had been long absent, if it had ever existed. The only thing that could have made her life sweeter was having her eldest and most giving child with her. She hoped and prayed that Itachi wasn’t suffering alone. That someone would be brave and care for him.

*

_And you are not alone in this._

Sasuke missed Aniki. He missed him with an intensity and longing that no adult would believe a toddler capable of feeling. It was too much for such a small body.

There were things on Uzushio that soothed and eased Sasuke’s longing. He had friends, for the first time, that weren’t his Aniki. There was Karin-nee with her red hair and her warm skin. Shibuki-nii who was always patient and happy to build and rebuild towers with Sasuke’s blocks, even after Sasuke knocked each and every one down, delighting in the destruction.

Most of all there was Fū and Shisui-nii. They were Sasuke’s most constant companions when Hahaue and Chichiue were busy.

Sasuke liked spending time with Fū. She was so loud and bright and happy. So different to the other toddlers that Hahaue sometimes left him with. They were always so quiet and still. They never ran around or giggled or played in the dirt.

Fū loved playing in the gardens that Shisui-nii took them to. Sasuke loved it too. He liked the plants that grew. There were so many of them. His favourites were the bright red fruits that grew on vines. The very stalks and leaves of the plant had a smell that was unlike anything else. He liked biting into the shiny round skins of the freshly plucked fruit and feeling them burst on his tongue.

Fū said he looked like a squirrel when he ate tomatoes. That his cheeks bulged out and he looked like a chubby squirrel. Shisui-nii said being a squirrel wasn’t a bad thing.

Sasuke liked the place where they lived. It was huge, bigger than his house, and the floorboards sang when he and Fū toddled across them, Shisui-nii chasing after them.

Best of all, Fū-chan’s house had cats! There was an old white cat, Kōgō, who would curl up in Sasuke’s lap when he was sleepy after lunch and purr. The vibrations and gentle sound would coax his already weary eyes into closing and keep him in slumber for a much needed nap.

There was also the biggest cat Sasuke had ever seen, possibly the biggest cat in the entire world (according to Sasuke and Fū, never mind that Uzushio was decidedly lacking in felines and most of them were the average cat size). Matatabi had not one but two tails (making her twice the cat) and she could talk and do awesome things like send balls of blue fire dancing in the air for Sasuke and Fū to chase. The flames never burnt them, rather they tickled, like cold tendrils on their fingertips.

Matatabi liked Shisui-nii too and would often join him whenever he was looking after Fū and Sasuke. Sasuke’s favourite times were when Yugito-nee joined them all. Yugito-nee was possibly the coolest person (after Aniki of course). She could summon cats in a puff of smoke. It was like magic. Yugito-nee also had the best games. She could make anything fun and she laughed even louder than Fū-chan and Shisui-nii!

Despite all this, when Sasuke returned home to his Chichiue and Hahaue, he still missed Aniki.

He didn’t know what had happened, why they were living in Uzushiogakure, but sometimes there were super wrinkly old people who came to their house and started moaning and making grumpy noises at his Hahaue. Sasuke wanted to learn how to chase the old people away. Sometimes, if he called them old and wrinkly, they would get all huffy and turn red like tomatoes. Sasuke enjoyed those times the best, even if Chichiue would get annoyed with him.

Sasuke dreamed of Aniki sometimes. He would know what to do. What to say to get the old people to stop being so mean to Hahaue. But Aniki wasn’t here. And sometimes (in the middle of the night, or when he watched Shisui-nii playing with Fū-chan) Sasuke hated Aniki a little bit. Just a tiny bit. Because Aniki wasn’t here and Sasuke wanted him to be.

*

_Hold your hand._

“Hahaue?” Sasuke asked tentatively. He prodded at the leeks on his plate with his chopsticks. He didn’t like leeks. But Hahaue said he needed to eat his vegetables to grow up strong like Aniki.

“Yes Sasuke-kun?” Hahaue responded absent-mindedly. She was looking at scrolls and papers again, even though she was supposed to be having lunch with Sasuke.

“What is Aniki like?”

Hahaue put her papers down and looked at Sasuke. He kept his gaze on his leeks.

“Why do you want to know?”

“I can’t remember him. Not properly. I – I’m worried I’m forgetting him.” Sasuke forced the words out.

He glanced up and felt a sharp tug in his chest. Hahaue looked so sad. Sadder than Fū-chan when someone stepped on a bug. Sadder than Shisui-nii who sometimes sat in the garden with his bandages around his eyes and his face tilted into the breeze. Sadder than Yugito-nee who looked out across the ocean and stood as if ready to run across it, her feet only held in position by a strong will. Sadder than Uzu-sama sometimes looked when she walked through the village.

“Itachi has dark hair, like you.” Hahaue said. “But his doesn’t stick up all over the place and refuse to lie flat like yours.”

Sasuke grinned. “Is his more like yours?”

Hahaue nodded.

“What else?” He asked eagerly, dropping his chopsticks in favour of clasping his hands in his lap. Hahaue eyed his plate with disapproval.

“Eat half of your leeks and I’ll tell you something else about Itachi.”

Sasuke’s face dropped and his lips turned into a pout. He _hated_ leeks. But he wanted to know more about Aniki. He reluctantly picked his chopsticks up and scooped up half of the leeks between them. With his free hand he pinched his nose and shoved the chopsticks into his mouth, chewing almost before they had left his mouth.

Hahaue rolled her lips inward and her shoulders lifted up and down as Sasuke chewed vigorously and held his nose tight. He swallowed with an audible gulp.

“Done! Tell me something else!”

“I can see. Alright…. Hmm… Itachi’s favourite food is dango.”

“Not tomatoes?”

“Itachi has a sweet tooth, not like you. He loves sweet things, but he always eats his vegetables. He knows they’re good for his body and help him be a strong shinobi.”

Sasuke eyed his plate with the remaining leeks on it. If Aniki ate his vegetables and was a super strong shinobi, then maybe Sasuke should eat all his vegetables.

“Did Aniki get dango after he ate his vegetables?”

Hahaue’s eyebrow raised.

“Not every time. But he would get a piece of fruit for dessert. As long as he ate all his vegetables.”

Sasuke was completely oblivious to his Hahaue’s machinations.

“If I eat all my vegetables, can I have a tomato?”

“if you eat all your vegetables, yes.”

Sasuke swallowed and rolled his shoulders back, preparing himself. Again he repeated the nose pinch and the furious chewing and audible swallow. Slamming his chopsticks down as soon as all the leeks were gone.

“Can I have my tomato now?” He grinned. “And can you tell me another thing about Aniki?”

Hahaue gestured to the kitchen and Sasuke whooped before racing to the tiered baskets where they kept the fruit and vegetables that didn’t go in the fridge. He took the largest tomato he could find and then hurtled back into the dining room.

As he devoured his earned treat, he listened to more facts about his Aniki, some which seemed familiar but others which he had no recollection of.

*

_And you are the mother._

As time passed Sasuke began to record his earned facts about Aniki in a notebook (in his favourite red crayon). He never really caught on to his Hahaue using Aniki, the promise of information about his beloved Aniki as motivation for Sasuke’s behaviour. But she wielded her knowledge of her eldest in true kunoichi fashion. Holding the promise of information in exchange for Sasuke eating his vegetables, taking a bath after playing with Fū, going to bed without fuss, being polite to the Uchiha elders who persisted in coming to their home to try and push her into rebelling against Uzu-sama.

Mikoto used every tool at her disposal to instil good behaviour in Sasuke, who was far more aggressive and confrontational than Itachi had ever been. But she was happy that Sasuke still had some memory of Itachi. Sometimes she worried she too would forget. Forget how Itachi’s smile looked, how he smelt, how his voice sounded when he was happy, tired, content. Forget how quick he was to notice even the smallest things. Forget exactly how he liked his favourite meal prepared.

She worried that the memories of her son might fade and dull with time. But reliving them and sharing them with Sasuke who coveted the information as if it were gold, helped keep the memories and knowledge fresh and living in her mind. Especially as Fugaku (although he had realised that the Uchiha had been on a path to their own destruction) was reticent to speak of their lost son. In the quiet moments with Sasuke, especially at bedtime when he would snuggle into her lap and flick through the photo album she had managed to bring with her from Konoha, Mikoto could almost feel Itachi with them. His soul and his essence imbuing her with strength and courage to stand against the Uchiha elders and to stand with Uzu-sama.

She loved how Sasuke hung onto every word from her. She loved how Sasuke even asked Shisui for more information. She loved how Sasuke, although now surrounded and welcomed by Uzu’s family with its plethora of children who all allowed Sasuke to call them nee-san or nii-san, was still utterly captivated by his Aniki.

*

_And you are the mother._

_The mother of your baby child,_

_The one to whom you gave life._

It was no surprise that when Itachi finally, finally, finally, came to Uzushio Sasuke refused to let his Aniki out of his sight. Luckily, it seemed the separation had caused similar longings and feelings of loss in Itachi. Their bond was as inseparable as it had been.

Mikoto managed to take several photos during Itachi’s first visit. Sasuke following behind his Aniki, a little duckling following his brother. Sasuke curled up against Itachi’s side as they nestled against Matatabi’s flank and napped in the sun. Sasuke training with Itachi in the yard, her youngest’s tongue poking out of his mouth in concentration as he copied Itachi who was warming up with some stretches. Itachi’s head bent over next to Sasuke’s as the pair of them read a book before bed.

Mikoto was also relieved that the distance and the events seemed to have had a positive impact on Itachi’s relationship with Fugaku. The dissonance between her husband and eldest had always been a concern. But now, with Fugaku no longer the clan head, no longer the demanding leader he had been, Itachi was more open to speaking with his Chichiue and less prone to silent aggression when they did clash.

Mikoto regretted that it had taken such devastation and threat of loss to spur her into action. But she had done it. She had saved her boys and her husband and by extension her clan. But none of it would have been possible if not for Uzu-sama and Uzushio. She knew, in her heart, mind and soul, that if Uzu-sama had not rescued Yugito, had not created a family from children and people society feared and abhorred but needed, had not rebuilt Uzushiogakure, had not saved Itachi… The Uchiha clan would have fallen. The clan would have fallen and her eldest would have been a tormented soul for the remainder of his life.

There were four people Mikoto would lay down her life for. Sasuke, Itachi, Fugaku and Yugito, (because she knew that one day Yugito would become a more permanent part of their family if the looks and embraces Itachi offered up so freely were any indication) but she knew that as long as they lived on Uzushio, as long as she lived and gave her respect and loyalty willingly and freely to Uzu-sama – her family would be safe and protected.

Because Mikoto was a mother and her children were the most precious and important things in the world to her.

And mothers should always be prepared to do anything for the wellbeing and safety of their children.

It might have taken her a while to learn this, but Mikoto would not forget. Nor would she forgive Konoha or the clan for the path it had put her eldest son on. And Uzu-sama was the perfect co-conspirator.

Mikoto couldn’t wait for Uzu-sama to go to Konoha. The Village Hidden in the Leaves wouldn’t be the same. And that could only be a good thing for her children and for Naruto. Uzu-sama was going to bring new life into Konoha and Mikoto would be at her side.

Because that’s what mothers do.

Make the world a better place for their children.

*


	2. What I know about Aniki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke's list of facts and information he has learnt about Itachi from Hahaue, Shisui-nii and Yugito-nee (and Uzu-sama).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The typos are deliberate because this is Sasuke's list and he can't spell perfectly yet! These are genuine spellings I have seen children write (some of which I have edited because only a teacher/parent would be able to decode what some of the spellings are supposed to be)! Although, being English there are words on this list which might look misspelt but are in fact UK spellings e.g. colour... 
> 
> What other facts do you think Sasuke would/should have on his list?

**What I know about Aniki**

  1. His hair is the same colour as mine
  2. His hair is long and strait
  3. He loves dango
  4. He likes sweet things
  5. He likes cats and crows
  6. He can play the shakuhachi
  7. His favrite colour is blue
  8. He is the youngist Anbu ever!
  9. He can make a fireball bigger than Chichiue
  10. He has a quiet laugh
  11. Shisui-nii is his best frend
  12. He can sew
  13. He likes to watch the stars
  14. He doesn’t like spicy food
  15. He loves me
  16. He doesn’t like meanies
  17. He doesn’t like being cold
  18. He likes sitting under the kotatsu
  19. He wantid to be an Aniki
  20. Yugito-nee says he was worried about being a good Aniki
  21. Shisui-nii says Itachi loves Yugito-nee but not the same way as he loves me
  22. Chichiue is proud of Aniki because Aniki did the right thing
  23. Aniki makes tough choices
  24. He likes lerning about the historee of shinobi
  25. He didn’t leave me
  26. He was afraid of hurting people
  27. He cried when Hahaue’s cat died
  28. He is brave
  29. He is kind
  30. He is a strong shinobi
  31. Hahaue thinks Aniki would be a great teecher one day
  32. Yugito-nee sends Jiji to stay with Aniki so he isn’t lonelee all the time
  33. Aniki would train for hours to get his skills purfect
  34. He isn’t purfect
  35. Even Aniki needs help sometimes
  36. He saved Yugito-nee and Matatabi’s lives
  37. They saved his life first
  38. Uzu-sama said Itachi was one of the gentelest souls she had ever met



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be no further addition to this side chapter. Leave kudos and a comment if any of it made you smile! Let me know what else you think Sasuke would/shoud have on his list.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope some of you enjoy this character study/glimpse into life on Uzushio for Mikoto and Sasuke. Ngl, this one was a bit trickier to write than some of the other additional chapters. Not my favourite of the side chapters but hope it conveys some of Mikoto's character and thoughts beyond ITAV.  
> I did try to write a segment from Fugaku's POV but as you can tell, it didn't happen. I can't get into Fugaku's mindset... TBH Sasuke's was kind of hard to write too which is why his bit is so short!! 
> 
> Anyway, please leave love and a comment if you read! I want to know what you think!


End file.
